I am so excited for fall this year. Fall means I can finally break out my favorite leather boots and soft sweaters, drink hot chocolate, and this October, turn 25! As much as I love sweater season, though, I’m still very much inspired by summer and its brighty, sunny flavors – lime, cilantro, jalapeno and mango, to name a few.
This spiced chicken with tropical salsa by One Lovely Life, a favorite blog of mine from a sweet girl named Emily, is the perfect way to keep celebrating the beauty and bounty of fresh veggies brought on by summer.
Emily flattened and pan-fried her chicken breasts to give them a nice crust, but I marinaded and then grilled mine for maximum juiciness, so follow whichever recipe suits you best. Topped with a delicious mango-avocado salsa, this is one healthy meal that’s full of vibrant flavor and color, and I know you’ll just love it!
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Spiced Chicken with Tropical Salsa
Yield: Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 lb. chicken breasts
1/4 cup brown sugar
scant Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8tsp. garlic powder
1/8tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. olive oil
For the salsa:
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, diced
1 tsp. white vinegar
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 small jalapeno, minced (with seeds and ribs removed)
Directions:
For chicken:
In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt and all spices. Coat chicken breasts lightly in olive oil, about 1 Tbsp. for each breast. Rub mixture onto both sides of chicken breasts and return to bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to absorb flavors. Grill (high heat, about 15 minutes, flipping frequently) or pan-fry (medium heat, 5 minutes per side).
Let chicken rest 1-2 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, then serve warm with salsa.
For salsa:
Combine all ingredients and toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Adapted from One Lovely Life
That salsa looks so tasty! Yum! And your photo is just perfect… your chicken looks so crisp and juicy!
Looks wonderful. I want to try this one!
Kathiey:-)
This looks delicious. Always looking for a new spin to put on a boneless chicken boob. Thanks for sharing!
What a gorgeous dish…the chicken looks perfect, and the salsa amazing :)
I am starving for dinner right now & want to dive directly onto this gorgeous chicken! Sounds like we both love the fall. It is so fun to mix up the final tastes of summer with the greatness of fall. Have a wonderful weekend!
So beautiful! Love the pictures and the recipe… And I’m in total agreement about the boots and sweaters.
Thank you, Debbie! Yea, it’s definitely starting to get more difficult to photograph dinner meals with the sunset starting earlier and earlier. I’m making do for now, though!
I agree these photos are amazing…the lighting is great. I always cook my dinner too late to get any natural light and it just never looks the same the next day! I like to bake my chicken, but this salsa sounds great on anything! Thanks
i just ran into your blog and had to drop a note. first of all: amazing pictures :) second of all: this recipe looks delicious and really simple. i’m so excited for fall too but nothing beats summer ingredients that you used in this recipe. :)
Looks really good! I also think your pictures are fantastic. What lens are you shooting with? I’m new to food photography and am trying to learn all I can . . .
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for your kind comment! I use a Canon Rebel XS with the standard EF-S 18-55mm IS lens, but I’d like to get my hands on a macro lens eventually.
Georgia
This looks so yummy! I definitely love summer flavors more then fall/winter. Cilantro is my favorite!
I love this recipe!! Bookmarked.
Well, evenings and mornings have been cool here, but the daytime temps definitely have been proof that summer is still hanging on. Your chicken looks yummy- that salsa is gorgeous!
*save*
This looks delicious! I’m always up for a new chicken recipe :) I’m also seriously ready for fall. I need more hot chocolate and pumpkin in my life, pronto!
I like the idea of flattening the breast a bit. Given their irregular shapes, I think it may help with even cooking. And I don’t usually think of making a salsa like this, so I’m grateful to have my horizons expanded.
Well, evenings and mornings have been cool here, but the daytime temps definitely have been proof that summer is still hanging on. Your chicken looks yummy- that salsa is gorgeous!
I am reintroducing meat into my diet, and I think that this is going to be one of the first chicken meals I try. Thank you for sharing such a moist and flavorful chicken dish. You always take such beautiful photographs that I can’t help but want to make every dish you post. Have a great weekend love!